Ancient Greek Athena is the goddess of war, wisdom, crafts, knowledge and arts. Such a spectrum is determined by the nature and activity that the Greeks attributed to the deity.
Athena, the fifth child of Zeus, according to legend, was born in an unusual way. The main
god of Olympus secretly from Hera married Metis. But soon Zeus found out that his son would overthrow him from the throne. This was reported to him by the Moira (or Uranus and Gaia - according to other sources). An angry god, in order to prevent the loss of power, swallowed his pregnant wife. After that, his head ached severely, and he asked Hephaestus to cut it. From the head of Zeus a new deity appeared - Athena.
The goddess of war is different in character from Ares, who also patronizes battles. The latter embodies rash aggression and unwarranted courage, while Athena is associated with strategic planning. She is also called the goddess of a just war. In contrast to Aphrodite - the personification of femininity and love - the patroness of battles has the features of masculinity. Athena rescued her fans in difficult times - thanks to the right strategy, they were able to overcome the most serious difficulties, defeat the enemies. Therefore, Nika (Victory) became a frequent companion of the goddess.
According to legend, the
daughter of Zeus from childhood was distinguished by curiosity and showed interest in the sciences, so her father decided to make her the patroness of knowledge. Athena, the goddess of war, wisdom and crafts, has repeatedly suggested non-standard, but effective solutions to the ancient Greeks. She taught Erichthony the art of
harnessing horses, and Bellerophon - of taming the winged horse, Pegasus. Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, helped Danus construct a huge ship, on which he reached Greece. Some myths attribute to the deity the patronage of peace and prosperity, marriage, family and procreation, urban development, as well as healing abilities.
According to legend, two applicants fought for the right to give their name to the capital of Hellas: Poseidon (patron of the seas and oceans) and the goddess Athena. Photos of archaeological finds and other data indicate that in ancient times the city was an architectural masterpiece: white stone palaces, giant stadiums and carved temples. God Poseidon promised that the Greeks would never need water if they called the capital by his name. And the patroness of wisdom offered the Hellenes an eternal wealth of food and money and presented a gift of olive seedlings to the townspeople. The Greeks made their choice, and today the capital of Greece bears the name of the goddess, and the olive tree is considered its sacred symbol.
The temple of the goddess Athena - the Parthenon - is located in the Acropolis at an altitude of approximately 150 m above sea level, it is a giant white stone structure, a masterpiece of architecture. Inside it is a statue of the goddess, made of gold plates and ivory. From all sides the temple is surrounded by 46 huge slender columns.
Zeus is considered to be the supreme deity of Greek mythology, but the cult of Athena echoes the more ancient period of Hellenic history - matriarchy. Therefore, the goddess can be considered close to Zeus in importance or even equal to him.